In post World War II America, graduating from high school and college, getting a full-time job, and moving into your own home was easy.
Nowadays for my generation...not so much. Without continuing to rant or lament about millennial disadvantages, I'm proud to say that I am finally going to become a full-time employee with full-time benefits starting Monday, October 8th by the Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
Although I have been in service to mutual index company for the past two years, it has all been as a contractor for a company that services Vanguard called Randstad.
My journey to becoming a full-time employee at Vanguard started when I graduated in May 2016 from Penn State Brandywine.
Here's the catch, I interviewed with Vanguard and they brought me on as a contractor with an ENGLISH degree.
I had hardly any clue about the stock market, retirement plans, and investment strategies, but would you like me to tell you about the themes and character development of "Dante's Inferno."
Nevertheless, I have tremendous gratitude to Vanguard and give them credit for bringing an English major onto their ship. Throughout the past two years, I've met several employees who got degrees outside of finance and business who've made a positive impact on client services.
Even though most contractors who convert to Vanguard full time waited about a year, I waited longer due to various reasons, mostly on my own doing. During my first year, I didn't feel the urge to try and become full-time because I was already being paid well and was fortunate to not be in crippling financial debt like a lot of people my age. Complacency can be a dangerous thing, but it's easy to catch it when you're not desperate just to get by.
During my second year, however, the drive to become a full-time employee grew in me. I knew I was going to have to move out of my parents' house in a couple years. I knew I had little time left to get my own insurance (but I had more time to get it than previous generations, Thanks Obama.) And I knew that I had the service skills and experience to get converted. So I set my goal to be converted by the end of 2018.
Getting that full-time job wasn't easy in 2018. I interviewed for a full-time position in March but ultimately wasn't selected for it. That's when I knew that being a competent worker wasn't enough, it was about making your presence known in front of peers. Not necessarily being confrontational and demanding a promotion, but showing presence in group meetings and training exercises.
Friends, family, and fellow employees let me know that my time was coming, and I believed it too even though I spent long hours working there. All while listening to podcasts, sports talk shows, Ken Burns documentaries and gothic musicals in my earbuds. Stacks of books like "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" and Doug Pederson's "Fearless" for me to read during breaks but kept forgetting they were there. Drinking cappuccinos out a straw so I can keep my teeth clean. All while always wondering why I didn't get enough sleep the night before.
Then one day last August, I see another opportunity for conversion. After two years of preparing, I had the resume and experience to earn this promotion.
I knew it was mine, but I also knew not to celebrate anything until I knew for sure. Then after coming home from work on August 28th, I opened up my email and saw something from Vanguard. The funny thing was that this email was available while I was grocery shopping after work. The official email confirming my reward had been sitting unread for a few hours.
I GOT IT.
It was the second happiest moment of 2018 for me (I live near Philadelphia, you can guess the first.)
Even though the two years I had as a contractor had their trials and tribulations, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything else. I've already handled literally thousands of client requests and dealt with hundreds of different work situations as a contractor already. The timely experience has sharpened my mind and teeth for the new waters of Vanguard. I honestly wasn't ready my first year, I'm ready now.
Oh, and I'm also spending the weekends this Autumn as a scarecrow in my other job at the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride.
